Science fiction tale for the YA reader – enjoyable and original

This novel tells us about Spensa, a young lady living on a planet called Detritus where the human population are constantly defending themselves against an unseen enemy, the Krell. She has to push herself to the limit to become a fighter pilot, discovering a lot about her situation and the truth behind the constant attacks. There's bonding with her fellow trainees, disappointment and plenty of revelations and a bit too much introspection.

The characters are well-developed and the plot is certainly entertaining, fast-moving in places and the concept is relatively original. Although this novel stands alone, I get the impression that there's more to come. Interestingly I'm watching Battlestar Galactica's second season at present and there are some distinct parallels. I can certainly recommend it to the young adult but fantasy/science fiction lovers should enjoy it too.

Another hit by Brandon Sanderson, if it was possible to give a book more than 5/5 this one would deserve it. One thing I love about this book is how Sanderson draws you into the world of Detritus so thoroughly. I wished I could have been going through Flight school with Spensa and the other members of flight crew Skyward.

Spensa is a fantastic character, so quirky and unfailingly loyal to her father who was deemed a coward. I bonded with her automatically and went through the whole rigmarole of emotions she did while reading this book. Her anger and stubbornness as she fights against Ironside for her right to become a pilot, her shame when she gets outed as the cowards daughter by "Jerkface" Jorgen, and her disappointment, anger and concern for herself when she finally learns the truth about her father.

Though Spensa is the main character, one of the things I love is that you manage to bond with all of Skyward flight. Each members actions impact Spensa in some way which makes them all vital to the overall story line, and through this you get to know their personalities and quirks which makes them invaluable to the plot.

M Bot is possibly my favourite AI ever. I love when authors give AI's a personality and M Bots is one of the funniest I've had the pleasure of reading. Between his obsession with Mushrooms and his unwillingness to break orders given to him nearly 200 years ago, he makes for an sometimes infuriating but ultimately hilarious and loyal sub-character who I love.

This book is my top read of 2018 so far and it would have to take something special to knock if off top spot. You read this knowing there is something going on that you just don't understand yet, and after all the emotional twists and turns, you are left with an ending that ties all the unknowns together effortlessly. The only problem with the ending is that it leaves you with a gap where Skyward Flight used to be and the need to have the next book in the series tomorrow!

Quite possibly the easiest 5/5 I have given all year. You need to read this book as well as Sanderson's other series which are all amazing as well.

I've never read a novel by Brandon Sanderson before so I have nothing to compare this book to. I really enjoyed the book though and I love the cover of the UK edition. It's beautiful and I think it illustrates the book perfectly.

The plot of the book is really interesting as humanity has to defend itself from an alien race but the book isn't set on Earth. You're slowly fed the real history of this small colony of humans and how they came to live on this abandoned planet. Skyward is full of action, from the very first page to the last, and I found it to be a very quick read once I got into it. I really liked the world that Sanderson created and I'd be eager to read more books set in this world.

I loved the main character of the book, Spensa or Spin, and I love that the prologue to the book gave us a snapshot into her childhood because it helps the reader understand why she is so determined and so outspoken. She's an ambitious young woman who won't let anything get in the way of her dream, to become a pilot. She also matures over the course of the novel. At first, she just wants to fight the world, which is completely understandable considering the way that people treat her, but eventually she grows into herself.

The length of the book is what I expected from a science fiction / fantasy novel but it didn't seem like it was too long when I was reading it. The writing style is very engaging and the plot of the book is swiftly paced so I was glad that the book was over 500 pages long otherwise it would have been over too soon.

[This review will be posted on my blog at 12pm BST on the 19th of October 2018]

Like many, I was curious how Sanderson's foray into science fiction would result in. As far as I know, he hasn't written any full-length science-fiction novels and I wanted to know how he would translate his famous magic systems into something more tech-based. Well, after reading Skyward, I'm pleased to say that my expectations have been more than met.

Firstly, the dogfighting scenes are a delight to read. I read in an interview that Sanderson interviewed actual dogfighting pilots as research for this book, and that definitely shows in the fight scenes. They're gripping, action-packed, and very dramatic. They're illustrated from Spensa's POV, which limits the scope to what she does and what she's observing, and I think that decision works very well. To incorporate Sanderson's hard magic-systems, each fighter plane is also given a light lance (high tech grappling hook), which means a whole new layer of grapple checks during fights. For readers like me who struggle with picturing maneuvers, there are helpful diagrams in between chapters that show step-by-step how they're done.

As usual, the worldbuilding is very well done. When we first meet Spensa, we learn that several generations ago, a fleet of humans crash-landed on an abandoned planet, being chased by aliens. After decades being hunted down by these aliens, they've begun to fight back. However, you quickly find out there's more behind the story most inhabitants are taught and you spend the rest of the book being drip-fed information. For me, those little hints and reveals were what kept me reading. I wanted to know more and more and the pacing was just right to keep me interested without making me impatient. For those curious, since this is technically a stand-alone, answers are given by the end.

My main dislike in this book was Spensa's character for the first half. We first meet Spensa as a child, right before her father will fight in one of the most defining battles of Defiant history and forever be branded a traitor. The next chapter is a teenage Spensa, shunned by society because of her father, about to take a pilot's test you just know she'll fail. Spensa's outlook on life tends to be 'punch first, ask later', which, while understandable given her treatment by literally everyone in this society, is also frustrating to read. There are many situations Spensa gets into that, when pairing her 'imma fight it' attitude with her general immaturity, results in frustrating outcomes for all parties involved. I want to like Spensa, but early on, she makes it difficult. As the book progresses, however, Spensa does mature considerable and I actually quite liked her by the end. She's still aggressive and violent, but it's in a much more controlled manner.

Other minor complaints are that I found the humor a little juvenile for my tastes. There's an AI that's annoyingly obsessed with mushrooms (no shame, I like eating them too) and a lot of the banter between characters feels very high-school to me. Which, given the ages of the character, is understandable if a little annoying to read. All the characters in this book use a single made a swear word, "scud". I'm don't usually mind made-up swears, but a) I wasn't very fond of the word itself and b) why is there only one? Surely humanity can be more creative.

Overall, I rate this book a 4/5. While a wasn't crazy about Spensa at first, she definitely grew on me as I kept reading. Sanderson works his magic once again with the fight scenes and delivers some truly riveting dogfights with fascinatingly well-explained aircraft maneuvers.

Review will be post 19 October 2018 on my blog at 12:00 EST

I love Brandon Sanderson for his adult novels, so I was thrilled to be able to read his future YA novel in advance.

I think Brandon's strength is his ability to create complex and interesting universes. We are on a planet surrounded by space detritus, hence the name Detritus, the latter serve as protection for humans, but they also represent a risk since they crash on the planet and in general when there is a shower of debris there is an alien attack. Humans have been at war for a few generations now with an enemy they have never really seen and without knowing the real source of the conflict. I loved discovering the planet and the way the human population try to survive, there are better-off families than others, the food is sparse for some and the rat is often the only source of meat for a lot of families. The universe is immersive to me and it was a pleasure to dive into it.

We follow Spensa, all her life she was discriminated because of an act that her father did, he was judge a coward and we do not accept cowards in this world. So, all her life, she wanted to restore his honor and become a pilot like him. Spensa is a girl who built herself around the hate of others, she has a big mouth and she is so much fun to read. We also feel that she is a fragile heroine who wants above all to know the truth and who fights for that. I also really liked her group at the flying school, the dynamic is great and we focus on more than one character and I really like them all.

As for the plot, the novel is not small and I think that those who seek only action will find some length in the story. However, the author has a real gift to embark his reader in his stories, and it passes through the richness of the universe, endearing and human characters, but especially a plot that becomes more and more thorough over the pages, we discover new elements that are just incredible and frankly, that's what I love about Brandon Sanderson. The end is amazing and I feel that the sequel will be full of twists. I was already conquered before reading the book beacause I love Brandon Sanderson's other book, but I am even more conquered out of reading Skyward, Brandon Sanderson has done a good job with it.

This book felt a bit different than usual Sanderson books, though I enjoyed it regardless.
It was an enjoyable sci-fi story. Main character Spensa's father gets killed and labelled a coward. He's her hero, so she decides to become a pilot and gets to join the flight academy. Somehow she gets banned from living in the academy building, and while in a cave, she finds M-bot. It's an artificial intelligence living in an old fighter jet. .
The world was very interesting. There were plot twists, that surprised me. I really enjoyed the development of the main character.
It was an easy, nice, sci-fi adventure. Recommended.

Although I enjoyed this book to me it didn’t feel like a Brandon Sanderson novel. I got the exciting battles the plucky young protagonist and the detailed world building. I did not get hooked on the story, blown away by twists or all my thoughts about our world blown apart. However, missing these things did not make it a bad book. I found the main character annoying, and not in a love to hate kind of way. The first-person narrative was something I don’t tend to engage with but I found flowed easily. It was a quick read and it certainly didn’t bore me overall a 3.5 out of 5.
Also a review on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnGUgTuKA_6WQCHP2662S5Q?view_as=subscriber

Spensa's father Chaser was her hero, a top class pilot until he is killed and branded a coward. Spensa is determined to become a pilot and with the help of tutor Cobb - who was a wing pilot for Chaser - she gets a place at the flight academy, but it won't be easy as Admiral Ironsides seems to be blocking her at every turn.
Banned from living in the academy's buildings, Spensa is forced to live in a cave and it's here while she's hunting for rats that she finds M-bot an artificial intelligence that lives inside an old fighter jet.
I quickly became attached to Spensa, M-bot and the rest of the cadets in her squad and look forward to the next book.

3.5 / 5

Bit of a shaky one for me. As a whole it was enjoyable, but it took me quite a while to get through this and I never fully connected with Spensa until about the last 20% of the book. I enjoyed M-bot and his comments mostly (I honestly don't think I'd have enjoyed this as much if it wasn't for him), and the final quarter of the book is where I finally got interested in the story. The ending did get much more enjoyable for me and has me intrigued for the rest of the series, but it's not at the top of my list.

Cuando apenas se cumplen dos años del cierre de la trilogía de los Reckoners con ‘Calamity’, Brandon Sanderson da el pistoletazo de salida a una nueva serie de ciencia ficción orientada a un público adolescente. 'Skyward', 'Escuadrón' en la edición en castellano publicada por Nova, nos pone en el lugar de Spensa, una adolescente que vive en Detritus, planeta al que los humanos han quedado desterrados después de tener que abandonar la Tierra largo tiempo atrás. Como en gran parte de las novelas enfocadas a este rango de edades, Spensa tendrá que lugar contra todo y todos para lograr su objetivo: ser piloto de los escuadrones de defensa del planeta donde se encuentra.

La nueva aproximación de Sanderson al young adult recurre a numerosos tópicos de lucha contra lo establecido con el objetivo de lograr ver cumplidos tus sueños. Nuestra protagonista es la hija de un antiguo piloto ya muerto considerado un cobarde por todo el mundo. Desde pequeña Spensa tendrá que enfrentarse al estigma de ser “la hija de” y que todos los que la rodean la traten como si ella llevara esa supuesta cobardía en la sangre. Sin embargo, es esa lucha por derribar esta teórica huella la que hace que se decida desde muy joven a intentar ingresar en la academia de jóvenes pilotos. El planeta tiene que defenderse continuamente de los ataques aéreos de los Krell, quienes intentan acabar con todo lo que queda de los seres humanos. En Detritus la humanidad reside bajo tierra, en distintos niveles y con diferente tecnología según la categoría social y contactos que cada familia tenga. Como cabía de esperar en este tipo de novela, Spensa y su familia viven en las cavidades superiores, las más pobres, dado que se considera que son las que primero caerían ante un ataque de los Krell. Será en uno de esos viajes entre su casa y la academia cuando descubra en una cavidad una antigua nave averiada que puede tener la clave para muchos de los terrores que la atenazan no solo a ella sino a todo lo que queda de la humanidad.

A pesar de que ‘Skyward’ cuenta con una estructura bastante típica en cuanto a lo que va sucediendo, cómo y cuándo, la historia cuenta con los suficientes detalles, misterios y huecos por completar para que cada capítulo de la obra termine siendo una revelación. La novela cuenta además con algunos detalles muy reconocibles de la obra de Sanderson lo que hará las delicias de aquellos que hayan leído algunas de sus obras más recordadas. Un ejemplo es la progresión de la protagonista en cuanto a ciertos avances tecnológicos de los que se va apropiando y de los que va adquiriendo más y más conocimiento según los va conociendo, con el “pago” que esos beneficios la conllevan.

‘Skyward’ también cuenta con numerosas referencias a clásicos. No solo desde su propia presentación desde un punto de vista editorial, que señala la película “Como entrenar a tu dragón” y Top Gun con cazas espaciales, sino que también son claras las referencias a clásicos de la ciencia ficción como El Juego de Ender o Star Wars. La descripción del planeta, de las naves, los movimientos, las situaciones que se crean debido a la convivencia en la academia militar, la relación sus superiores y un largo etcétera de momentos que traían una y otra vez estas referencias a mi mente. Estoy convencido que la mayoría de quienes leáis la novela coincidiréis conmigo en ello.

Aunque la novela se centre principalmente en Spensa y sus vivencias para llegar a ser la mejor piloto, no puedo dejar de mencionar a un personaje secundario como es M-Bot. Algo desaprovechado en esta entrega, aunque con un papel decisivo en el tramo final, creo que será uno de los personajes más recordados de esta saga y contará con un papel muy relevante en futuras entregas. Ojo a esta pareja Spensa-M-Bot que estoy convencido que pueden dar mucho juego en el futuro.

Ya os adelanto que gran parte de lo que os he contado sobre el argumento de salida se verá alterado muy significativamente según avancéis en la lectura. Y aunque sea la primera parte de una saga, lo cierto es que como novela única también funciona bastante bien, dejando muchos de los hilos cerrados y dejando al final (MUY al final) alguno abierto para quien quiera animarse a continuar.

Con todo lo dicho, no puedo más que decir que he disfrutado de esta novela tanto o más como lo hice con “El Rithmatista” hace ya unos años y es posiblemente la novela juvenil que más he disfrutado en un largo tiempo. Debe quedar claro que no encontrareis nada nuevo ni revolucionario pero la manera en la que Sanderson cuenta la historia, cómo la información se dosifica a lo largo de las paginas, así como los secretos que se van descubriendo para el futuro y cómo estos hacen mella en los protagonistas, hacen de ‘Skyward’ una novela a tener en cuenta por parte de los seguidores del autor norteamericano y de ésta una saga que, de momento, me ha dejado mucha mejor impresión que la anterior de los superhéroes.

An enjoyable, if undemanding sci-fi story. The basic premise of a planet, where the remnants of the human race live subterranean lives to survive attacks from aliens and falling space debris, is interesting. The story has some interesting plot twists and a some character development of the main characters in the story. The denouement was cleverly crafted. Much enjoyed as an undemanding page-turner.

Great lead character, unusual engaging voice in this plotting full of twists until final curious denouement .. skyward is clearly the aim, and she sensed it from early on .. very entertaining ..

This is a fine example of how one writes Young Adult. I am once again in awe of this master of storytelling, who excelled in his first full-length space opera novel.

Skyward is another hallmark of Sanderson's ability to spin the most incredible stories. He described the book as How to Train Your Dragon meets Top Gun and Enders Game. These references, however, would count for nothing if the execution was poor. Fortunately, and to solidify my unwavering faith in my favourite author, he shows that he is still at the top of his game.

So what do we get from Skyward? Fascinating worldbuilding - check. Empathetic characterisation - check. Excellent pacing and plotting - check. All these I have come to expect from Sanderson already, but the one thing that impressed me the most are the starship dogfight scenes. No magic system to showcase in action? No sweat! He relied on his (seemingly inexhaustible) imagination to create some unique dogfighting techniques while keeping flight science as real as possible with the help and advice of real-life fighter pilots. Similar to his magic systems, the capability of the pilots and their starfighters is constrained within a set of boundaries or rules as dictated by available technology; some of which are made-up to make it more exciting. The flight school arc is engaging and well-written with loads of flight action scenes, and they are so vivid and thrilling that I was practically glued to the pages.

If it is even possible, Sanderson is getting better at his worldbuilding skills, and I'm not just talking about how fascinating this most aptly named planet of Detritus is. It is that self-described Grand Skill of incorporating worldbuilding naturally through the perspective of the characters. Aside from avoiding info-dumping, this also lends an air of mystery to the history of the planet, its inhabitants and their lifelong war, but at the same time is not too obscure as to frustrate the reader.

The story is written mainly in the first-person POV of Spensa - an angry young lady with a lot to prove and hence had quite an attitude problem and a propensity to act like an idiot sometimes. Her growth in character was simply quite superb. While I was annoyed with some of her thoughts and actions at first, she was relatable, and as she fought so hard to remain in flight school at all costs to prove her detractors wrong, the life lessons she faced made her development feel completely natural and realistic. Even the supporting characters are excellent and ones that you will root for and develop an emotional investment. The level of empathy that Sanderson demonstrated in the way he wrote his characters truly astounds me sometimes. My favourite character - who made me tear up and then laugh till I almost cried again - is one that is not even human or biologically alive, but has such a personality as to appear quite sentient.

As with all of Sanderson's stories, there are always important themes imbued into the character's journey. Living in the shadow of her father, Spensa went all out to prove that she is not a coward. As she progressed through flight school, however, her conviction of what real bravery is was sorely tested. Her path to be a pilot and a grown-up was one of harsh realities and self-realisation.

"It has always seemed to me that a coward is a person who cares more about what people say than about what is right. Bravery isn't about what people call you, Spensa. It's about who you know yourself to be."

There is also one unifying theme evident in Sanderson's books, and that is one of hope. Not hope in the metaphysical sense or some god-like intervention, but hope that arises from the good in people. I live for stories like these, especially during these dark and nonsensical times.

"People need stories, child. They bring us hope, and that hope is real. If that's the case, what does it matter whether people in them actually lived?"

No, it does not matter to me if Kaladin or Dalinar, Vin or Kelsier, (to name a few) are fictional. Their stories illuminate what it means to hope, to live and be human. And I will want to ‘live' those stories again and again. Now, I am adding Spensa and her awesome, hilarious starship into that list.

I received a free ebook version of this through Netgalley. Thankyou to both Netgalley and Orion for the chance to read this. My review is still honest!

I’m just going to say what I do in most of my Sanderson reviews: <b> this author can do no wrong. </b>
Skyward is something entirely different from his other work, and yet it may just be one of his best. <b> This is on par with Stormlight and Mistborn, guys. </b> That’s how good this is. I would also like to note that I really, really want this review to be good, but I kind of feel like my life is over after reading this all day and I don’t think I really have the words to explain how amazing this book is.
So, for those who don’t want to read the long version-if you want an action packed, un-putdownable, exciting, emotional and very, very well written adventure, <b> pick this book up. </b>
Skyward is an exciting sci-fi, alien fighting space adventure that had me hooked from the very first line. Spensa is a totally unique character, entirely unlike any other Sanderson hero, entirely unlike any other YA hero, and she is one of the best, most well crafted, complex characters I have ever read about. Her story broke my heart, gave me hope, inspired me and made me feel like her life was all I cared about for a day. I cared deeply about all of the characters in this, and the world they lived in.
It’s a sci-fi story with thriller and mystery aspects that just fit in so well. I could never guess the answers to my questions, or anticipate what would happen next. It had me reading like I had minutes to finish the chapter, especially in the battle scenes, which were so incredibly well written and exciting. The progression was perfectly paced, the world building was incredible for a first book in a series, and one that isn’t that long at that and Sanderson never shied away from making things hard for his characters. It’s pretty brutal-and I loved every second.
I try very hard to make my reviews critical, and I almost always have some kind of constructive criticism about the books I review. This one though? I can’t fault it. Sanderson was one of my favourite authors before, but this book shows that he just goes from strength to strength. An absolute master of fiction.


Pre-reading thoughts:
I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO EXCITED TO GET AN ARC! This will be my 20th read from Sanderson!

It's possible that I've aged out of the target audience for this book, because I found it hard to get into the story. I am not familiar with this author at all so after seeing that he had quite a following I was excited to dive into a newly established world. Spin seemed overly immature for her apparent age, which I put up with in the understanding that she needed some type of journey and growth storyline. I do think that almost the entire cast around her is far more interesting.
I think what upset me most was the writing style. Every page is dotted with dashes- like this, and pointlessly so- to the point of distraction. This author is hung up on pauses it seems because the same is also true in dialogue, where most conversations have a weighty ellipses moment. I... didn't understand the point. As a reader it's frustrating, both grammatically and in interrupting the flow of the writing. Somehow everyone comes off a little emo and a lot dramatic, which is such an odd choice.
Editing aside the story was only ok for me, but there were some interesting ideas and relationships that I did enjoy.

This book had me hooked from the prologue, following Spensa and her father. The following chapters from Spensa's (Callsign: Spin) point of view had me rooting for her and shouting at her. While I wasn't the biggest fan of how much of a spitfire Spin was at the start of the book, her character developed throughout the chapters and we were able to see more than just her short-temperedness. As Spin became more attached to her flightmates, I found myself growing fonder of them as well. And in the moments of intensity, M-bot cuts the tension with a quick quip that would make me giggle or smile.

One thing that I can't praise Sanderson on enough is his fight scenes. Typically, I find myself yawning and getting bored by the middle of a fight scene, especially fight scenes that take place on ships, but Sanderson's descriptions and the short bursts of dialogue kept me interested and turning pages to know the outcome of each battle.

The world building was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about how humans came to be on Detritus. I wanted to know more about the world they were living on and crack the mystery as to why they were fighting the Krell. It was interesting to see how the humans on the planet created their own clans as well and how they were separated. I felt truly immersed in the world and I'm looking forward to more details in the next book.

This honestly has become my new favorite book. I laughed, I cried, I sat on the edge of my seat wanting more and more. I really look forward to the next installment of this series and would highly recommend it to anyone.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book. I’ve enjoyed pretty much all previous books of his that I’ve read so I was pretty optimistic. Admittedly it’s not his normal genre and it’s in theory YA but I didn’t regret reading this at all and will happily be buying a copy when it’s out too. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for anymore in this universe!

3.5/5

I went through so many opinions on Skyward. At first, I couldn’t get into it at all and then it started to get interesting. By the end of the novel, however, I was fully invested in the story and I just wanted to see what happened next.

My main issue, in the beginning, was with Spensa. I didn’t warm to her at first. She’s a 17 year old girl. Well, I say 17, I’m assuimg that’s how old she is because that’s how old her peers are but she spends most of the first part of Skyward acting like a 10 year old. She spends her time dreaming about being a fearsome warrior out of some sort of Norse myth, says ridiculous things like that she wants to drink the blood of her enemies and bullies someone just because she made assumptions about him. She really didn’t make a good first impression on me and I was prepared to dislike her just as much as I disliked Rin in the Poppy War. Thankfully, Sanderson is a very good writer and he managed to pull her away from being a horrible character by giving her some much needed growth and by the end I was rooting for her.

As for the other characters, they were good. They all have a part to play and they are all different enough from each other so that I never got confused about who was who. The N-Bot, though, was the star of the show. From the moment that amazing AI made his first appearance I loved it. It had as more personality than all of the other characters put together and I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions at its clumsy and hilarious attempts at conversation.

The plot was interesting. I liked the concept of a dying human race trying desperately to defend itself against a greater enemy and the plot twist at the end was unexpected but it makes you want to continue with the story. At this point, I ma just going to accept that Sanderson will write a compelling and interesting story because he never seems to be short of excellent ideas. I am more familiar with his epic fantasy novels, not really with his YA, but I can say that I enjoyed Skyward more than Steelheart, which is the only other of his young adult books that I have read. I really liked that Sanderson was not afraid to kill characters off and I liked them enough to feel regret at their deaths. The end battle was rousing and it was good to see everything come together in a way that was satisfying yet made you want to read more.

Is this book perfect? No. There were times where I was incredibly frustrated with the main character, especially as she seemed to think it was all right to bully Jorgen just because she perceived him to be more privileged than herself but I did feel for her when she was trying to overcome the impossible odds of proving she was not a coward like her father. Spensa did improve as the novel progressed, and her interactions with the other characters helped to humanise her when, in the beginning, she felt little more than a trope. I am interested in continuing this story, I want to know what happens next so, overall, it was a win for me.
And I want to read more of M-Bot’s amazingness.

Advanced copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review!

Its been almost a week since I finished Skyward and I still don’t quite know where to start with this review. I simply just loved it, the end. But that will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me because I am quite the fan of the Sanderson’s work. (FYI I don’t even bother with reading the synopsis anymore, I just hand over my money more than willingly.) Which is probably why I was surprised going into this one to discover it was actually YA. But despite loving his work as much as I do, I do feel YA is not his strongest area. It’s still hugely enjoyable, just not in the same league as Mistborn or The Stormlight Archive. That said, this one however was very different to his previous YA offerings. It really was brilliant. I found every single part of it fascinating. The characters, the setting, the plot and pace were all the usual Sanderson standard along with his signature subtle quirkiness and humour.

So, that prologue! It will have you guessing as to what really happened right to the end, and of course nothing is as it seems. The true nature of circumstances unravels slowly whilst following Spensa and her struggles through flight school following the events of the prologue. The flight school setting provides Sanderson ample opportunity to show off the breadth of his research and writing skills with the training exercises alone. And of course it’s all about that ending. It all culminates in a truly epic sky battle with some pretty exciting scenes and revelations that leave you just wanting the next instalment immediately.

One of my favourite things about Sanderson’s books are the illustrations that accompany them. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy because I am fully expecting (which was only hinted at in the eARC) details on some of those flight manoeuvres which will undoubtedly only contribute to its captivating plot.

I recommend this one to Sanderson fans, you will not be disappointed! But also to YA readers who eye up Sanderson’s novels from a distance and wonder if his work is for them, those who maybe are a little daunted by some of his bigger work.

First I need to say that I enjoyed this book, it was creative, the action was well described, the characters were well developed and were interesting. Good book, it just that I didn’t realise it was a pre teen book which I discovered within the first few pages and almost put the book down, well you can’t really put a e-book down but I bet you know what I mean. That would have been a mistake as I did find the book engaging. So, if you are a SiFi fan this is a good read regardless of your age, give it a chance and you will enjoy it I am sure.